


Long Change

by secretsidgenowriter



Series: SidGeno Photo Challenge [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: AUTHOR AU, Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Non-Hockey Sid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-08 04:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20311825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsidgenowriter/pseuds/secretsidgenowriter
Summary: Geno keeps his old, beat up copy of Long Change with him at all times.





	Long Change

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a Sid/Geno Photo Challenge prompt.

Geno keeps his old, beat up copy of Long Change with him at all times. It’s stuffed into the back pocket of his jeans or in his carry on or on the counter while he reheats dinner.

The cover is torn and taped back together and so heavily creased from being folded back while reading that he can barely see the photo on the front or the title written in bold, blocky letters just above it.

Sometimes he thinks he should replace it. That taping it back together with the clear packing tape he had left over from his move from the Gonchar’s to his own home will only last for so long. That soon it will be more tape than book.

He could get another copy. Maybe a hardcover that will hold up to being constantly tossed in luggage or hockey bags. Or even better, he download it to his e-reader and easily have it, and whatever other book he’s reading at the time all in the same place.

Geno doesn’t do any of that. Instead, he keeps carrying around the same old one he’s had for years.

Anything else would feel like a betrayal.

Geno first picked up the book on an outing with Gonch and the girls during his first few weeks in America.

As soon as Gonch opened the doors to the Barnes & Noble Natalie and Victoria were off like a shot toward the children’s section.

“I should go after them,” Gonch had said with a sigh. “Make sure they don’t get the idea in their heads that they’re going to buy the whole store. You should look around. Browse. See what you can find.”

Geno had rolled his eyes because what exactly was he going to find in an American book store? English was still a huge mystery and he could barely speak it, never mind read it but with the only other option being hanging around the kid’s section with Gonch, Geno decided to look through the aisles.

He stopped to skim through the cookbooks, bright with photos of food he knew were made with too much butter and too much sugar. He picked through novels and autobiographies filled with page after page of words he didn’t understand until he was overwhelmed with the idea of having to actually learn them.

He was going to be in Pittsburgh–in America–for as long as they would allow him to be. For as long as they wanted him. He’d have to adjust.

He started to make his way back through the store toward the children’s section when a book caught his eye.

It had a relatively simple cover compared to some of the ones he had seen. A pair of hockey skates leaning against each other on a thick blanket of snow while more flakes fell down around them.

“Did you find something?”

Geno held out the book and Gonch raised his eyebrows.

“You want to read that?”

Geno shrugged. “It’s about hockey.”

Gonch took the book and flipped it over, eyes scanning over the summary on the back. The corner of his mouth curled up.

“Okay. I think you’ll like it. C’mon, the girls are ready. We’ll check out and go get lunch.”

Learning English was a slow and frustrating process. So was reading the book. He had to take it page by page, line by line, word by word.

Long Change by Sidney Crosby is about hockey, but it’s also about so much more than that.

The novel is about Sam and his journey from mini mite hockey all the way to the NHL. Sam is sweet and shy off ice but on it he seems to come alive. He’s confident and self assured. He works harder than God and lives only for hockey. Or at least he thought he did until he goes off to boarding school in the midwest and meets Jason. Jason is tall and blond and handsome and Sam’s teammate. They spend most of their time together and by the time Sam is leaning in for a kiss as they’re both sitting on Jason’s bed Geno’s stomach was in knots. Jason let Sam down gently by saying they’d be better off as friends and Sam had agreed then slowly but surely closes himself off and focuses exclusively on hockey. It pays off in the end when he’s drafted first overall and racks up points and awards and during his second year in the league Evan joins his team. Sam spends pages talking about Evan’s hockey and how strong and smart and funny he is and by the time they’re skating alone at the rink after getting knocked out of the playoffs Geno was on the edge of his seat dying to know what would happen next.

They kissed in the empty arena after Sam admitted that hockey was the only thing that ever loved him back.

Evan told him that wasn’t true and leaned in and together they spent the next seven chapters trying to figure out how they’d be together in the spotlight of professional sports. There were a few chapters where they didn’t think they could be. Geno spent those chapters sniffling and wiping at his eyes.

In the end it all worked out. They lived happily ever after, playing hockey and hoisting Cups and building a sweet, little life together.

Geno read the book again, and then again after that. He read it until he didn’t need to stop every few sentences to figure out a word and then he read it again.

He wrote notes in the margins and highlighted passages he wanted to come back to which he does, after a hard loss on the road or when he’s feeling lonely in his big, empty house.

Long Change is a comfort to him. The characters and the story and the way the worn pages feel beneath his fingertips, like they could fall apart at any moment but they stay together because he needs them to. Because he would be lost without this book and the hope that it provides.

Geno’s first kiss was with a boy named Andrei and right now he’s still looking for his Evan.

Geno gets a text from Gonch while he’s having dinner with the team in New York City. He ignores it, along with the second and third text but when his phone starts ringing he huffs and picks it up.

“I’m eating.” he snaps when he answers, pushing his chair back and heading for the exit. He needs quiet so he can be sure that Gonch hears every word when he chews him out. “What is your problem?”

“Did you read my texts?”

“No,” Geno says as he pushes his way through the front doors and out onto the street. “I’m having dinner.”

“You’re going to miss your hero.”

Geno stops and pulls his coat around him. “What are you talking about?”

“Sidney Crosby is doing a book signing in the Barnes & Noble on 5th Ave. How soon can you get there? He’s going to stop at eight.”

Geno’s quiet for a long moment as his brain catches up to the words. “Sidney Crosby is not my hero,” he finally says and then immediately winces at how hard Gonch laughs.

“Please, I know you’ve read every single thing he’s ever written.”

“I have not,” Geno lies. He’s purchased every single book Sidney Crosby has written on their release day and finished them shortly after that.

“And I know you carry that one book around with you everywhere you go.”

“I do not,” Geno lies again. It’s in his coat pocket right now. “I can’t meet him. What am I supposed to say?”

“…that you’re a big fan. That you love his work. Then you ask him to sign that beat up stack of papers you call a novel and you die happy.”

“Seryozha…”

“Zhenya….go. You’ll regret it if you don’t. I know you will.

Geno sighs and Gonch laughs gleefully. He loves being right.

“Where is it,” Geno asks and he can almost hear Gonch roll his eyes.

“Fifth Avenue and hurry. You don’t want to miss him.”

Geno goes back inside to make his excuses. He throws down some money for his meal and flips off Dumo when he yells out_ “boooooty call,” _and walks the six blocks to the bookstore.

It’s nearly 7:30 but the line is still out the door and Geno thinks about turning around and going back to the hotel. He’s going to be turned away, he fully expects it, and it would be easier for him to just do it now than when he’s only steps away from _The_ Sidney Crosby.

But the line keeps moving as the time ticks by and by and by eight o’clock he’s made it inside the building but he’s still ten people back.

He can at least see Sidney from here, sitting behind a table and making small talk with a woman as he signs a copy of his newest book.

Sidney looks better in person than in the photos that Geno found when he Googled his name. He’s by no means a recluse but Sidney doesn’t have any social media and he very rarely does television interviews. The only photos he found were from award ceremonies and signings just like this one.

He looks more relaxed in person without a camera or iPhone in his face. He’s smiling a charming crooked smile and ducking his head to hide a pretty pink blush when someone compliments him.

Geno steps forward in line. Every foot closer to Sid makes him more and more nervous. This is the man who wrote the words that have stuck with him for nearly a decade now. What is he supposed to say to him?

Geno takes another step closer and wishes Sid was a hideous old man or some middle aged woman. It would be so much easier to have an emotional breakdown in front of someone he’s not wildly attracted to.

When it’s Geno’s turn he steps up to the table and Sidney smiles politely up at him.

“Hi,” Sidney says, “I’m glad you could—.” The smile drops off his face as recognition clouds his features. Geno should have stopped to grab a hat before he left or maybe his glasses.

“Oh my god,” Sidney says softly. “You’re. You’re umm…oh my god.”

Geno has seen this reaction from fans at restaurants or bars or even the grocery store. Sidney’s starstruck. Over him.

Sidney seems to shake himself. “Hi,” he says again. “It’s really nice to meet you. I’m glad you could make it down. I’m a huge fan.”

Geno gapes at him then shakes his head as the words begin to pour out.

“No, no, I’m huge fan. I read all your books, all of them. Love them all, but love Long Change the most. Was very first book I read in English, took me a long time but I read it. Then I read again and again. Still read sometimes. Always keep it with me in case–.” He stops then pats his pockets, panicking when he doesn’t feel it. He frantically pats the other side of his jacket and feels the book and sighs in relief as he pulls it out. Sidney’s eyes go very wide at the state of it. “Can you sign?”

Sidney takes the book very carefully, like he’s afraid it’s going to fall apart in his hands. “We can get you another copy,” he says and Geno shakes his head and nearly snatches the book back.

“No!”

Sidney startles and his handlers lingering around the edge of the table tense up.

“No,” Geno says, trying to compose himself. “I know is ugly and messy and going to fall apart soon but is my book.” He takes it out of Sidney’s hands and flips it open, revealing the notes and the highlighted passages.

“You wrote it in it.”

Geno winces. “Yes, know that’s bad but–.”

“No!” Sidney’s hand darts out, fingers circling Geno’s wrist. “It’s good. I write so people can enjoy it. I’m really glad that these words meant something to you.”

“Mean lots,” Geno corrects. “Whole story…hockey…love. Important.”

Sidney looks like he understands, really understands what he’s trying to say.

“You know this was the first book I ever wrote,” Sidney says and Geno nods. “I got the idea for it when I was in boarding school and, well…you read the book. Obviously it’s fiction, I didn’t end up in the NHL, but the bones of it comes from a real place.”

“So, you and Evan…”

“No,” Sidney says with a shake of his head. “That’s more wishful thinking.”

“Sid.” They both look over at one of the handlers who taps her watch. “We have to get going. We’re already late.”

“Sorry,” Sidney says, “but I’m due in Philadelphia in the morning–.” He pauses to laugh at the disgusted look on Geno’s face. “I know, I know. But I have a signing first thing and our flight out of the city is in a few hours. If it was later we could…I don’t know, go get a drink or something. Talk?”

“Talk would be nice,” Geno says, “but should get back to hotel. Game tomorrow.”

“I know. I’ll be watching.”

“From Philadelphia? Don’t think they let you.”

Sidney laughs. “I’m sure I’ll find a way. Do you want me to sign your book?”

Geno nods and sets it down. Sidney carefully flips open the front cover and, after a moment’s hesitation, scribbles something across the paper. Then he closes the book and hands it back to Geno.

“It was really nice to meet you,” Sidney says, “thanks for reading.”

“Thank you for writing,” Geno tells him and hopes Sidney knows how much he means it.

Geno steps to the side so Sidney can greet the remaining people in line. He stops near the doorway and flips open the front cover.

Evgeni– thank you for reading, I’m glad this book could be there for you. Call me sometime, we can get that drink.

There’s a phone number and then Sidney’s signature and when Geno looks back Sidney looks up and catches his eye with a smile.

Geno’s heart swells as he clutches the book to his chest.


End file.
